In fear of the growing number of cases of the COVID-19 variants, German authorities announced their plans to impose travel restrictions, prohibiting British travelers from going to the European Union regardless of their vaccination status.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said she wanted to classify Britain as a "country of concern" due to the prevalence of the Delta coronavirus variant in the region. Several senior European and national officials will discuss the plans on the EU's integrated political crisis response committee.

Travel Ban

However, several countries will be opposing the ruling, including Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Portugal, and Spain. Merkel is also scheduled to personally meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson next week at Chequers to talk about their future plans.

British officials will soon announce plans that would allow fully vaccinated individuals to travel to all countries with no restrictions. Exceptions include regions with the highest risks of spreading the coronavirus disease, Reuters reported.

The situation comes amid the resignation of Matt Hancock, Britain's health minister, amid a slew of controversies, including his affair with one of his senior aides Gina Coladangelo and his alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 situation during the early stages of the pandemic. The health expert was previously photographed hugging Coladangelo, revealing his affair and a violation of the country's social-distancing protocols.

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Hancock's resignation comes at a time when the country is battling a surge of COVID-19 cases related to the deadly Delta variant. The number of cases recorded is the highest observed since the beginning of February. Health officials recorded nearly 100,000 residents who were confirmed to be infected by the disease, which is about a 50% spike from the previous week.

The former health minister was responsible for leading Britain's efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also the latest member of Johnson's government to be involved in accusations of violating the country's safety regulations regarding the health crisis. Hancock was frequently seen in news conferences at Downing Street, urging the public to follow lockdown protocols and other restrictions, the New York Times reported.

Violation of Health Protocols

In a video statement released on Saturday, Hancock said he understood the sacrifices that residents across the country made to support the fight against the virus. He noted how officials who made the rules should also follow them, citing it as a reason for his resignation. On the same day, Downing Street introduced Hancock's successor Sajid Javid, a former home secretary and chancellor of the Exchequer.

Additionally, the defense secretary and six of the UK's most senior military commanders were forced to self-isolate after the head of the country's armed forces Gen. Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the news of Carter's infection.

On Sunday night, the MoD also said that the colleagues who were close to Carter during meetings in the last week, including Ben Wallace, the defense secretary, were conducting self-isolation. Carter was reportedly self-isolating late last week after his results came back positive, The Guardian reported.

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